How to setup Moneydance to work on 2 computers with Dropbox

Pat Wendt

11 Feb, 2010 01:22 AM

I want to be able to use Moneydance on two different computers,
but I can't figure out how to get it to work with Dropbox. I
changed the location of the backup files to Dropbox on my Mac but
the Windows machine won't recognize them. This is driving me nuts.
Can you please help me?

Just close money dance and then use your file browser (finder on
a Mac) to move the .MD file from it's current location to your drop
box. After Drop box replicates, then open the file from the drop
box location. You can do this by double clicking on the file. MD
should save the file to the drop box on exit. Now your dropbox copy
of the file is your main file.

I am not currently on the Mac running MD, but for now I'll assume yes. Your reply to both threads makes perfect sense and I'll try this evening and add additional comments if necessary. Your replies will also assist with my attempts to eventually use DropBox to sync between my Mac and my spouse's Dell Peecee.

For what it's worth, I've been using Dropbox for my MD data file
for nearly a year without problems. In general, it works like a
charm, but obviously it is important to remember to close the file
before you try to open it on another computer.

This isn't a multiuser situation, but it is the next best thing.
MD's unMaclike behaviour of quitting when hitting the close button
(rather than remaining open on the dock) is positively helpful in
avoiding sync problems. I used to hate this, but since I've been
using Dropbox I see the advantages.

PS: Dropbox also helpfully syncs the MD datafile to my iPhone
(and, in future, my iPad). But, sad to say, that function is
currently as useless as a chocolate kettle!

I am trying to do the same thing on two windows machines. I have
a product called SpiderOak backup. I have it sync my moneydance
data directory to the same place on both computers. When opening it
up on my 2nd computer I always have to go open the file and enter
my license to get it to work. Any suggestions to avoid this would
be greatly appreciated.

I can only speak for Mac and I continue to have no problems
using Dropbox. I am not familiar with SpiderOak backup. However,
why not try installing Dropbox, which is a synchronisation system
rather than a backup system? It is free and very easy to work with.
Find it here https://www.dropbox.com/install.
Once you've installed it, COPY your up-to-date Moneydance data file
to the Dropbox folder on your first computer and then wait for the
file to appear on the second computer. After you have opened that
file on both computers (assuming you have only one data file)
Moneydance should find it. Don't forget to be scrupulous in
clothing the file whenever you have finished, whichever computer
you are working on. I have had occasional glitches if I leave one
of the file open by mistake. When everything is working you can
delete the file from the original Moneydance folder (or, of course,
leave it there as a back up).

I want to second Michael's recommendation that you install the
free version of Dropbox. Not only did it solve my Moneydance on two
computers problem, but I've found a surprising number of other uses
for it too.

Thanks to Michael Evans & Pete Wendt. If I cannot get a
resolution to my problem I will surely try the dropbox application.
Would prefer to try and get this working with SpiderOak (one
application doing backup, sync, and remote access instead of having
to install another app). The only thing I can think of is that
SpiderOak encrypts the file when it goes to the server and decrypts
when it comes back, would that cause me to have to reenter the
license everytime I open it on the 2nd computer? Thanks again for
all the responses.

So does Dropbox encrypt as far as I am aware. I suspect the
problem is caused by the backup process. What I am assume you are
doing is backing up all your data, including folder containing the
Moneydance file, and then synchronising this with the similar
folder on your other PC. This means you have two distinct data
files which are being synced together. Dropbox works in a slightly
different way. You make Dropbox your data folder and physically
move the Moneydance file into that. You are therefore working on
the same file whichever computer you're using. It's difficult to
explain why there is a difference between that and backup/sync, but
I'm sure its the reason. Incidentally, I use Dropbox for all the
data files I access regularly, including spreadsheets and sundry
databases, and I have absolutely no problems in working on all this
data from whichever computer I'm on. I do have separate backup
systems, including Cloud backup, but I do not attempt to use this
to synchronise between computers; I just do separate backups for
each computer. Dropbox takes care of the specific syncing operation
and does it well.

It is correct that the main (only) data file sits in the Dropbox
folder (or, of course, in a sub-folder of the Dropbox folder). I
keep Dropbox on the desktop for easy access, but by default is goes
somewhere in the user's documents folder. You can choose when
installing or move it later. Dropbox actually stores a copy of the
file on all computers, so you can access it even if not connected
to the internet. It isn't cloud storage. However, the data files on
all your individual computers are all synchronised with the Dropbox
cloud and you can use their website to see versions. If you wish,
you can go there and restore an earlier version. It just works.

Angie Rauscher closed this discussion
on 24 Jul, 2011 07:48 PM.

Comments are currently closed for this discussion.
You can start a new one.

New Issue

Conversation Started

The discussion is closed

No more actions from The Infinite Kind or the discussion starter are required.